9th December - Why Instagram will DIE within the next 5 years



I saw an intriguing video last night, of a beach in Ibiza in 2002 where people were swaying and wildly grooving to balearic house music during a sunset on a rocky landscape. The beats were loud, and the people were sweaty. Most had their eyes closed, in unison with the music, and were really 'feeling' the music. The next, focused on Ibiza 2019, with Camelphat playing a set at (what looked like) Ibiza Rocks Hotel. The crowd were barely moving, there wasn't a single arm in the air, and the ravers looked like the cast of Love Island. "Which of these do you prefer?", the caption under the video, asked.

Of course, there is no real competition. But reading through the comments, it dawned on me how this generational shift has been caused by apps like Instagram and maintaining this 'polished' and 'clean' aesthetic. I read through the video's comments and one user remarked that in order to attend such events now, you're expected to commit to all the other fashion choices that accompany it. In his case, he commented that there's a certain 'expectation' now, for men to turn up in brightly coloured, oversized 'shit shirts', with matching playsuit shorts. Unbutton the shirt and pop a little man bag over your torso, with some sunnies on a chain round the neck. Pulled up white socks and Nike Airforce trainers will seal the deal. But despite this, and despite the need for a constantly 'bright' and 'busy' Instagram account within the Millennials, Gen Z are going the other way....





Look at any Gen Z's Insta account and you'll either see '0 posts', or '2 posts', and the posts you DO see, are shit. They're blurry, and they're non aesthetically pleasing. Whilst we were brought up with the idea of 'art' across our Insta, planned posts and content going out at certain times with certain hashtags, to maximise engagement... The new generation don't give a fuck. Being 'tidy' is 'try hard', it is far more effortless to look 'scruffy', both in physical appearance, and social presence. Long gone are the days when my 22/23 year-old generation lusted after the David Beckham and Justin Timberlake 'Suit N Tie' era, of perfectly tight pompadour quiffs, with collared shirts and brogues. We were taught to look like men. Lads now are taught to look like tramps. Already, we are seeing the rise of apps like 'Be Real'.




This fast-growing application sends a random notification to users at any time in the day, at which point they are asked to post a twin-photo, one of their selfie camera, and one of their back-camera. The results, predictably if you're posting at 2:37pm on a Tuesday afternoon, are drab. But that's their new 'cool'. When that happens, and the tide starts to turn again, Instagram - and everything it once stood for - will die. In 5 years time, ravers will mostly be Gen Z. That means no phones on the dancefloor anymore, and not a single trout pout in sight. Love Island will die out, and the days of 'social darkness' will return. Not because is is authentic, like in 2002....




... But because it is the 'new cool'.


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